4 reasons to keep in contact with former employees

Research shows staff turnover rates are set to rise over the next five years from 14.6 to 18 per cent, with the number of departures in 2018 to stand at almost 4.7 million within the UK. At a global level, this will reach an eye-watering 192 million separations in 2018.

In short, employees leave: fact. Flight risk management is now standard practice within most organizations and will continue to underpin HR and business forecasting.

However, when former employees do walk out the door, they may actually continue to be an asset and add value to your organization – often in surprising ways.

Why should you reconsider severing ties with ex-employees?

Former employees are excellent recruiters

Your former employees know your culture, your business and what the roles typically entail, making their recommendations and referrals for prospective staff more likely to be relevant. Research conducted by Glassdoor shows referrals are also more likely to receive offers, boosting the chances of a match by up to 6.6%. They will also typically offer truthful accounts of the organization to would-be employees, which can go a long way to securing buy-in and managing expectations. What’s more, they’re likely to connect and network with individuals in their field; giving you a “way in” to this valuable pool of prospective candidates – and let’s not forget that their ‘services’ in this respect are normally free.

They don’t disappear

When employees move onto pastures new, most of the time, they don’t go far. Many employees will remain in a similar field and perhaps go on to work for competitors, suppliers or even clients; maintaining an amiable professional relationship can safe-guard that network and provide valuable market insights otherwise unobtainable (particularly as many will remain in contact with certain individuals from their previous firm). Who knows, perhaps your ex-employee could be a future client themselves.

The boomerang effect

The value of bringing back departed employees is hotly debated in the HR sphere, but research shows that many continue to have strong value if they do return. They already have organizational knowledge and have demonstrated skills and capacity to do their role; after a period away, they’ll often return with new insights and refreshed enthusiasm and engagement. Before closing the door, it’s worth considering whether they could be tempted back: that’s a talent pool worth keeping track of.

When a long-serving or top-performing employee gives notice, there can be a temptation in many organizations to take that action personally – even ‘shunning’ those individuals for displaying a lack of loyalty. It’s important to consider the bigger picture. Maintaining those relationships can present long-term gains at both individual and business level; avoid a scenario in which you could be “cutting off your nose to spite your face”. Stay in touch with the ex.